As most of you know my uncle, Father Greg, was pastor here at Mary Mother of God. I have fond memories of visiting him, staying in the rectory I now call home, and playing with his two black cats. Sadly, he passed away in 2017, but Father Greg was a big influence for me growing up and especially for my vocation. When Father Greg passed, he bequeathed me something very special that I’d like to share with all of you. When Father Greg died, he made sure that I received his chalice, chalice that I will use in today’s Mass, the chalice that is on the altar. This chalice is very special, not only because it belonged to my uncle, but also because it represents three of the matriarchs of my family. The chalice was given to my uncle on the day of his Ordination by his extended family. His aunts and uncles all chipped in to pay for it. They engraved his date of ordination on the bottom. But this was not the only ornamentation. They also added a stone that His grandmother, my great grandmother, had left him. The stone is a diamond from her wedding ring. Affectionally known as Grannt Hart, my great-grandmother was a champion of faith in our family. She taught her children who God is, that God loves them, and desires a relationship with them through prayer and the sacraments. That testament of faith has lived on long after her death, through her children, my grandfather, my mother, and me. When Father Greg’s mother passed away, he added a piece of her jewelry to the chalice. The only jewelry she owned was a string of pearls, so Father Greg took four small pearls and had a jeweler fashion them into a cross surrounding his grandmother’s wedding stone. Finally, when I was ordained a priest, my mother added her wedding stone to the chalice as an ordination gift for me.
In our gospel today, Jesus warns us about attachment to worldly goods. To the rich man he says, “‘You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?’ Thus will it be for all who store up treasure for themselves but are not rich in what matters to God.” The reason I wanted to tell you about my chalice is not to brag about how beautiful or expensive it is, but to show the power of faith being taught and passed on in the family. Parents, you have been given such a profound gift. It is an awesome and cosmic responsibility, to guide your children to heaven by teaching them the faith. And I believe that you will be held accountable for your effort. As the pastor, the shepherd, of this parish, it is my responsibility as well, and I believe that when I meet my creator, He will demand a testament of my effort, and judge me accordingly. Sadly, the main ministry opportunity I have is only one hour a week during the Sunday Mass, and even if your children are in CCD classes, that is only one more hour a week. But in the family, in your homes, you have ample opportunity to guide each other closer to Christ, to model virtue, and teach the faith. The way you do this through your words is of the utmost importance, speaking about God around the dinner table, reading scripture together, and praying as a family. But the way you exemplify your faith through your actions and your participation in the parish may be even more important. Granny Hart was a faithful member of the altar society at Saint Edward parish my grandmother taught CCD classes at Saint Theresa’s for decades, and my mom has a beautiful voice that she contributes to the choir at Christ the King. That type of example, children seeing their parents participate in the ministry of the church, has more of an impact than you probably realize. Teaching the faith is important but showing the joy of actually working to build up the kingdom of God, is just as important if not more.
And so, this is the first of many times that I will encourage you not only to practice your faith but to live it out by participating in the parish. Covid 19 has been a gut punch in many ways, including to ministry. So please, if you have considered signing up for a ministry in the past, or even if you’ve never considered it, now is the time to step up. Here are some of the many opportunities you could get involved with. The Legion of Mary, Knights of Columbus, scripture study, Eucharistic ministers, catholic Christian women, gift bearers, ushers, sacristans, catechists, lectors, choir members, and for you kids we desperately need more altar servers, and I hope to start the youth group back up. Also, don’t forget about the trail life troop, and I’m sure I’ve even missed a few ministries. Please bring this into your spiritual life, pray about which ministry you feel God is calling you toward, and then reach out to Robin in the church office to sign up. If you want to join a ministry but are worried that you don’t know how, don’t let that fear get in the way. The leaders of each group will be happy to teach you, as would I.
Every time I celebrate Mass with my uncle’s chalice, I pray for him and for the matriarchs of my family. I am so grateful for the faith they taught their children in the house, but also for the faith they exemplified by their ministry in the parish. The rich man in today’s gospel was so concerned with the goods of this world, and there are many goods God has given us to enjoy, but they are not the ultimate good. So, let us build up for ourselves treasure in heaven, by teaching and showing who the unlimited good is.